Boltless cast-steel car-truck.



gna. 700,992; Patented may i7, |902.

, w. E, sYMoNs, BoLTLEss cAsT STEEL c An Tnucx.-

(Application filed. July 6,1901.) (No Model-) 3 sheets-sheet No. 799,992. Patented may 27, |992.

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BOLTLESS CAST STEEL CAR TRUCK.

(Appfication med .my e` 1901. (No Model.) l 3 Sheets-Shut 2.

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No. 700,992. Patented mayA 27, |902.

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BOLTLESS CAST STEEL GAR TRUCK.

(Application filed July 6, 1901.) (No Model.) I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3,

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Unire States arent rtree.

WILSON ERVIN SYMONS, OF SAVANNAH, GERGI/X.

BOLTLESS CAST-STEEL CARTRUCK.

SPECEFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,992, dated May 27, 1902.

Application filed July 6, 190i.. Serial No. 67,339. (No model.)

To all wlw-nt t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON ERVIN SYMoNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Boltless Cast-Steel Car-Truck, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to boltless caststeel car-trucks of the same general character as that illustrated inmy former patent, No. 649,183, dated May 8, 1900. This class of trucks combines strength, durability, and simplicity of construction with a material'reduction in weight as compared with trucks of other types. For the sake of economy in the manufacture ot' car-trucks and in making repairs to the same I provide in my patent aforesaid for the manufacture of cast-steel trucks composed of three principal partsnamely, the two side frames and the transom-"interlocked and keyed together to provide a substantial connection without the use of bolts and in a manner to facilitate the assembling of the truck members and the replacement of any of them in the event of breakage.

One object of' the present invention is to improve the character of the connection between the side frames and the transom in a manner to greatly decrease the machining or fitting required in joining or connecting the members of the truck-frame.

A feature disclosed in my patent above identified was the provision ot' spring-seats cast integral with the transom and located at points somewhat removed from the ends of' the transom to position the bolster-.supporting springs between the side frames. lt has been found, however, in the service of these car-trucks that these spring-seats or pockets, which are necessarily strengthened by a heavy ribbed construction, rendered the transom too stiff and rigid, so that the torsional strain communicated to the transom through the medium ot' the side members when the truck was passing over rough or undulating track had a greater or less tendency to crystallize the metal or to subject it to a weakening strain on a line at right angles to the inner ends of the spring-seats proper.

Another object of my present invention, therefore, is to overcome this objectionable feature and to provide a cast-steel truck which will be more flexible and will more readily accommodate vitself to irregular or undulating tracks without the possibility of derangement or injury to any of the truck members ou account of excessive strainssuch, for instance, as those recited.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel means for taking care of the end or side thrust of the truck-bolster by opposing the side frames to this lateral thrust of the bolster as distinguished from the patented construction, which comprehends an inter-fitting engagement between the truckbolster and the transom for preventing undue endwise movement of the bolster.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting for the springs whereby the load sustained by the truck-bol ster will be supported immediately over the arch-bars or side members with bearing-points at either side thereof as distinguished from those constructions wherein the springs are located ,between the side frames to impose the entire load upon the transom.

To the accomplishment ot the several objects stated and others subordinate thereto the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the preferred form of oar-truck comprehended by my present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one side of my truck, showing a portion of the side frame and also of the transom in section and the truck-bolster removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the truck complete, showing the relation of the transom to the side frames and the relation of the truck-bolster to all ot' said elements. Fig. L is a side elevation of one of the side frames of the truck detached. tional plan view of the side frame, the section being taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. et. Fig.

6 is a sectional elevation of the transom, the

latter being broken away at one end thereof to illustrate its specific construction. Fig. 7

is a sectional plan View of the transom shown in Fig. G.' Fig. S is a sectional elevation of the truck-bolster detached. Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of the subject-matter of Fig.

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8. Fig. 10 is a central transverse sectional elevation of the truck-bolster. Fig. 11 is an end view of the transom. Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line 12 12 of Fig. 4. Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the line 13 13 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 14 is a sectional view, on a somewhat-enlarged scale, on the line 14 14 of Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the views.

The car-truck proper or truck-frame of my presentinvention'is composed, essentially, of three principal parts, each of which is cast in a single piece of metal. These parts are the side frames 10 and 11 and the transverse connecting member or transom 12. In the construction of these members of the car-truck I have endeavored to secure a maximum of strength and a minimum of weight by an advantageous distribution of metal and arrangement of parts. The several members of the truck are designed to be interchangeable with themembers of other trucks to facilitate the assembling of the parts of the truck-frame and the repair of the truck in the event of injury thereto-as, for instance, by the derailment of the car.

Each of the side frames (illustrated more particularly in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5 of the drawings) consists of. an vupper arch-bar 13, having its upper edge somewhat more oval or rounded than in the patented construction, a binder 14, central struts 15 and 16, and end struts 17 and 18. The side frame comprising these several parts is cast in a single piece, and the arch-bar and binder, together with the central struts 15 and 16, are related to each other in a manner to form a central opening 20 at the middle of the side frame. This central opening in each side frame is designed to receive, in a manner to be described, one end of the transom, and for the purpose of reducing the machine-Work or itting necessary to secure the accurate interiitting of the transom and side frame the Walls of the opening 2O are cored out at the corners and at themiddle of the slide and upper edges of the opening, as indicated at 19. This coring out of the end frames produces a pair of bearing-faces 19 and 19b at each side and at the top ofthe opening 2O and also produces a single elongated bearing face or seat 19C at the middle of the bottom wall of said opening. (See Fig'. 4.) Thus the machining or fitting of the side member in joining the transom thereto is reduced to a minimum by the formation of the clearance-spaces defined, and when the parts are fitted up the bearing area will be much in excess of any truck in which a column-bolt is used and the support of the transom bythe side frames will 'be more substantial than in any type of built-'up trucks wherein bolts or rivets ar employed.

The end struts 17 and 18 are integral with thearch-bar and binder, as stated, and are arranged near the ends of the same to define therewith the open jaws 21 for theaccommodation Yof the axle-boxes in a manner well understood in the art. Each open-ended jaw is. bounded on three of its sides with aV verse area than the corresponding seats of v the patented construction, and said seats are cored out intermediate of their ends--as, for instance, opposite the cored-out points of the vertical walls of the opening 20. These coredout spaces of the seats are best indicated in Figs. 12 and 14 of the drawings and are indicated by the numeral 25a. This enables the keys, hereinafter described,to be more readily litted to their seats, but gives them substantial bearings at their opposite ends, so as to insure the secure retention of the keyconnected truck members.

The transom 12 is a single piece of caststeel of skeleton construction involving a distribution of the metal in a manner to secure great strength without that objectionable rigidity or stiffness to which reference has been 'made This transom or transverse member of the truck-frame consists of the two side members 27 27 and the spring-seats 28. The side members 27 are disposed parallel to each other and are formed with suitable reinforcing-flanges and with elongated slots or openings 27, through which bars or other implements may be inserted to raise the truck-bolster, hereinafter described, when it becomes necessary to replace an injured or broken spring. The spring-seats 28 are made integral with the side members of the transom; but instead of being disposed intermediate of the ends of the transom, as in the lconstruction shown in my patent before recited, said seats are cast at the extreme ends of the transom. (See Fig. 7.)

Each set ofl springslocated at the end of the transom is composed of four members, and said transom is therefore provided at each end thereof with two pairs of springseats, one pair, 2S, being disposed beyond the extreme end of the transom and at the outer side of the adjacent side frame and the other pair, 28h, of the same set being integral with and immediately adjacent to the seats 28, but designed to occupy positions imme- ICO IIO

diately inside of the adjacent side frame.

Thus the spring-seats at each end of the truck are located at opposite sides of the adjacent side frame, so that the load imposed upon the springs will be sustained directly by the cast-steel side frames of the truck instead of by the transom, as in my former construction, notwithstanding the fact that the lower or supporting spring-seats are formed as integral parts of the transom, and therefore obviate the necessity for the employment of a separate spring supporting structure and permit the use of but three primary elements to produce the truck-frame. This location of the spring-seats at the extreme ends of the transom should be especially noted as an important feature of the present invention, inasmuch as this arrangement of the parts renders the truck more iiexible and capable of resisting greater strains by reason of the dis# tribution of a greater length of metal of uniform thickness between those portions of the transom which are stiened and rendered rigid by the interposition of the spring-seats between the side members 27. This arrangement is especially advantageous, as it renders the truck capable of resisting twisting or torsional strains without liability of crystallizing, fracturing, or breaking the side members of the transom, and, as heretofore stated, the arrangementis furthermore possessed of special utility in that it imposes the load directly upon the side frames instead ofupon the transom at points intermediate of the frames.

As in my former construction, the transom is formed at its ends with bearing-faces 29, which conform to the bearing-faces formed at the edges of the openings 2O inthe side frames; but, unlike said former construction, the exterior surfaces of the transom ends are not continuous, but are interrupted by spaces 29L opposite the cored-out portions 19 of the side members. These bearing faces or projections 29 substantially conform to and are disposed opposite the bearing-faces 19 and 191 of the side members, it being observed, however, that the upper corners of the transom are not cored out, as are the corners of the opening. The ends of the transom are arranged to fit into the openings 20, and the side faces of said transom are provided with key-grooves 31 and 32 coincident with the key-seats 25 and 2G of the side frames (see Fig. 2) for the reception of fastening-keys 33, which serve to interlock the ends of the caststeel transom with the cast-steel side frames. The interfitting ends of the transom constitute, in eifect, joint-iianfges, immediately behind which the side members 27 are provided with shoulders 30, which bear against the struts 15 and 16, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will now be obvio us that in assembling the parts the internal bearing-faces 19 and 191 of the side frames and the external bearing-faces 29 ot' the transom are finished to permit the snug interitting of these parts when they are assembled into a complete truck, and after being thus assembled the main truck members-to wit, the side frames and transom-are securely interlocked by slipping the preferably-tapered fastening-L keys 33 into the key-seats and ,securing them by nuts 34, screwed on their lower extremities. It should now be noted that the springseats 28, extended horizontally between the side members 27 of the transom, are located substantially in thev horizontal plane of the bottom edges of said side members and are elevated somewhat above the depending transom-supports 37 n, cast integral with the transom, its side members, and spring-seats and designed to rest upon the seats 19C, formed upon the binder 1e at the lower side of each opening 2O of the side frames. (See Figs. 3, Ll, and 11'.)

The transom-seats 37a are disposed in a plane below and intermediate of the outside and inside pairs of spring-seats 28 and 28h, and therefore the bolster-supporting springs 38 are disposed in pairs located, respectively, at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames. (See Fig. 3.) The parallelism of the sidemembers 27 of the transom, spaced apart as they are by the spring-seats 28, presents a transverse channel for the accommodation of the truck-bolster 37, (see Figs. 3, 8, 9, and 10,) which is considerably longer than the bolster employed in my former coni struction, so as to permit its opposite ends to extendthrough the openings 2O in the side frames for support upon the springs 38. The bolster is provided at its opposite ends and directly above the spring-seats 28 ofthe transom with a transverse diaphragm 39, which provides spring-seats 40, designed to rest upon the upper ends of the springs 28. Thus it will appear that both the ends of the transom and the ends of the bolster project through the central openings 20 of the side frames `and that the bolster is supported by springs which are in turn supported by the transom, but are located both inside andoutside of the side frames to impose the Weight `of the carbody directly upon the side frames instead of upon the transom in the usual manner.

In my former construction I provided for the taking up of the end thrust or lateral play of the tru cli-bolster by means of the provision of intertting guides on the contiguous faces of the truck-bolster and the side members of the transom. In the present construction, however, this expedient would be impossible by reason of the comparatively great length of the bolster and the difficulty which would be encountered in assembling the parts. l therefore cast upon the bolster the upstanding thrust-anges 41, bearing against the fiat bearing-faces 42, formed upon theinner side of each of the side frames at points immediately above the ends of thebolster,` (see Fig.

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bolster,which might serve to inj ure or derange cated at the upper sides of said members and igo 3,) and thus undue endwise movement of the serve both to limit the upward movement of the bolster and to constitute auxiliary bearing-bars seated against the upper edges of the opening20 in the side' frames. Since the bars 23 are located Within the planes of the side vframes, they also constitute means for preventing the flanges 4l from passing into the openings 20 when the bolster is abnormally depressed under the weight of an unusually heavy load. Axle-boxes 44, which are of any suitable type, are fitted to the openended jaws of the side frames and are held in place by the keys 45 in the manner suggested by my former patent, No. 659,903, dated October 16, 1900, and the transom is of course cast with suitable lugs for the support of the brake-beams, safety-chains, and dead-levers.

It is thought that from the foregoing the construction, operation, and special utility of the present invention will be apparent; but While the illustrated embodiment of said invention is thought at this time to be preferable I do not wish to limit myself tothe structural details described, but reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications, and variations as may be properly embraced within the scopeof the protection prayed.

l. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck frame, the combination with the side frames each cast in a single piece and having a central transverse opening, of a transom having its ends iitted in said openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom being provided with rigid spring-seats disposed at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames.

2. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck frame, the combination with the side frames, each cast in a single piece and having a central transverse opening, of a transom having its ends fitted into said openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom being provided with rigid spring-seats disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the transom and at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames.

3. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck frame,

the combination with the side frames, each.

cast in a single piece and having a central transverse opening, of a transom having its ends fitted in said openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom comprising side members and intermediate integral springseats disposed substantially in the plane, of the bottom edges of the side members and at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames.

4. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck frame, the combination with the side frames, each cast in a single piece and provided respectively with central transverse openings, of a transom formed in a single piece and having its ends fitted into said openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom having integral spring-seats disposed at opposite sidesv lof the side frames, and a truck-bolster having its ends extended into the openings on the side frames and provided with springseats coincident With the spring-seats of the transom.

5. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with side frames, each cast in a single piece and provided respectively with central transverse openings, of a transom formed in a single piece and having its ends fitted into said openings and keyed to the side frame, said transom havingintegral spring-seats disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the transom and located at opposite sides of the side frames, and a truck-bolster having its ends extended into the openings in the side frames and provided with spring-seats coincident with the spring-seats of the transom.

6. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with the side frames each cast in a single piece, and provided respectively with central transverse openings, of a transom formed in a single piece and having its ends iitted in said openings and keyed to the frame, said transom having integral spring-seats disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the transom and located at opposite sides of the side frames, and a truck-bolster having its ends extended into the openings in the side frames and provided with spring-seats disposed in a plane above the bottom of the bolster and coincident with the spring-seats of the transom.

7. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with the side frames provided with central transverse openings, and a transom having its ends extended into said openings and keyed to the side frame, of a bolster having the form of a hollow casting and provided at its opposite ends with transverse diaphragme disposed in a plane between the top and bottom of the bolster and within the hollow casting, said diaphragms constituting spring-seats disposed at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames.

8. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with the side frames, each cast in a sin gle piece and provided with a central transverse opening, of a transom having its ends extended into said openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom being provided with rigid spring-seats disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the transom and at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames,l said transom being also formed with terminal supports integral with the spring-seats and spaced below the same.

9. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with side frames, each cast in a single piece, and provided with a central transverseopening having its walls cored out to define a series of separated bearing-faces, of a transom having its ends fitted into said openings and keyed to the side frame, said transom being provided with separated bearing-faces disposed opposite the bearing-faces of the side frames.

10. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with the side frames, each cast ICO IIO

in a single piece and provided with a central transverse opening, the walls of the opening being cored out at the corners thereof and at intermediate points to define separated bearing-faces, of a transom having its ends extended into the openings in the side frames and provided with bearing-faces disposed opposite the bearing-faces of the side frames, said side frames and transoms being keyed together. 4

11. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, th combination with the side frames having central transverse openings, of a transom having open ends fitted into said transverse openings, the contacting faces of the transom and Side frames having vertically-coinciding keyseats, the key-seats in the side frames being cored out intermediate of their ends, and keys fitted in said coinciding key-seats.

12. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the

combination with the side frames having a central transverse opening, of a transom having its ends extended into said openings, the adjacent surfaces of the side frames and transom each having spaced bearing-faces, and co incident key-seats formed in the side frames and transom, the key-seats in the side frames being cored out opposite the spaces between the adjacent bearing-faces.

13. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with the side frames, each cast in a single piece and provided respectively with central transverse openings, and flat bearingfaces above said openings, of atransom having its ends extended into the openings and keyed to the side frames, a truck-bolster having its ends extended through theopenings in the side frames and provided with thrusttlanges disposed to bear against the iiat bearingfaces of the side frames, and springs interposed between the truck bolster and frame, said springs being located at opposite sides of the side frames.

14. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combinationwith the side frames, each cast in a single piece and provided with a central transverse opening, of a transom having its ends extended into said openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom being provided with rigid spring-seats disposed substantially in the plane of the bottom of the transom and at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the side frames, said transom being also formed with terminal supports integral with the spring-seats and spaced below the same, and with tie-bars extending between the sides of the transom in vertical alinement with the terminal supports to constitute bearing-bars seated against the upper edges of the openings in the side frames.

15. In a boltless cast-steel car-truck, the combination with the side frames, each cast in a single piece and provided respectively with central transverse openings and flat bearing-faces above said openings, of a transom having its ends extended into the openings and keyed to the side frames, said transom being provided with transverse tie-bars located in the planes of the side frames and disposed to bear against the upper walls of the transverse openings, a truclebolster having its ends extended through the openings in the side frames and provided with thrust-fiangesv disposed to bear against the fiat bearing-faces of the side frames and against the tie-bars of the transoms, and springs interposed between the truck and bolster frame, said springs being located at opposite sides of the side frames.

16. In a boltless caststeel car-truck frame, the combination with the side frames, each cast in a single piece and provided respectively with central transverse openings, of a transom formed in a single piece and having its ends fitted into said openings and eX,- tended beyond the side frames, said transom having integral spring-seats disposed at opposite sides of the side frames, and a truckbolster located within the transom and havingr its ends extended through the openings in the side frames, said truck-bolster being longitudinally coextensive with the transom and provided with spring-seats coincident with the springseats of the transom.

17. An arch-bar comprising a cambered upper member, a lower member having its ends substantially parallel and integral with the upper member, integral posts connecting thc middle portion of the upper and lower members; and a spring-seat supported between said posts.

1S. An arch-barcomprising a cambered upper member, a lower member havingits ends substantially parallel and `integral with the' upper member, integral posts formed with spaced bearing-faces, connecting the middle portions of the upper and lower members; and a spring-seat supported between said posts.

19. An arch-barcomprisingacambered upper member, a lower member having its ends substantially parallel and integral with the upper member, integral posts connectingthe middle portions of the upper and lower members; and a spring-seat supported between said posts, the opposed faces of the posts and the contiguous faces of the upper and lower members being formed with spaced bearingfaces.

20. A transom comprising side members, and integral spring-seats intermediate of the side members and extended beyond the ends thereof. y p

21. A transom comprising parallel side members, integral spring-seats intermediate of the side members and extended beyond the ends thereof, and integral supports lo cated below the spring-seats.

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22. A bolster having the form of a hollow i casting and comprising substantially parallel In testimony that I claim the foregoing as side walls, a oalnbered top Wall, the ends of my own l have hereto afxed my signature in which are disposed horizontally, and integral the presence of two witnesses. spring-seats extending between the side walls WILSON ERVIN SYMONS. substantially midway between the .bottom of Witnesses:

the bolster and the horizontal ends of the top F. N. KNIGHT,

wall. L. HARKNEss. 

